when a bomb fell, he should not .ave been out here yore churchill did not like to be touched. he said, thompson, you should not have done that. sunday, an extended "q&a" with paul reid to complete the final volume of manchester's 3 vou >> this week prime minister david cameron announces that 3800 british troops will be withdrawing from afghanistan by 2013.

prime minister's questions sunday night at 9:30 p.m. eastern and pacific on c-span. >> i think that there was no idea and it was promoted in certain articles and there was a con flation of politics because joe who crealted the show is a public conservative t. spectrum of affiliations on the straff were from the far left to the far right. but there was no agenda. it is absurd which isn't to say that if there was an issue, if in fact our content was affecting the behavior of interrogate tors in the field, even if it was.550% there was a

system i can problem for sure that we try to intervene on behalf of those people and to try to disabuse them of the fact this is a television show. and it is a television show. the fact that 24 became the political football that it became for a while any way i think was a valuable thing. >> how moveries and television portray politics and policy making. fold by george will on the history of religion and politics which and then james taylor monday night on c-span. >> hawaii senator daniel inouye i'd monday at the age of 88. he served for than 33 years as

senator. a memorial service was held friday with president obama among the speakers and his funeral will be tomorrow in hawaii. his colleagues paid him tribute on the senate floor tuesday. this is about an hour. >> mr. president, i would just first say that my friend chairman of the ju dish yare committee has been honored to receive one of the senate's highest honors of the senate and icon grat late him on. that and i join with him in expressing my sadness over the passing of senator daniel inouye. he came to this government 60

years ago in the legislature hawaii. he came to congress when hawaii became a state in 1959, to the snalt in 63, second nonl service to robertbird. this is a seers man, a solid man, a patriot and one who always had a good spirit about whow he conducted his affairs and how rerelated to other members of the senate and to his constituents and to the american people. he served in the most violent combat, previously wounded himself. part of the 342ened combat team, a 4,000 man unit who served in brutele combat. they were replaced 3.5 time in

personnel to maintain their strength. 14,000 served in that combat in italy. 9,000 500 received purple hearts, 21 medal of honors including senator inouye's medal of honor. and it was a remarkable time and remarkable commitment that he demonstrated to the country that he loved. i know we'll talk about his record and i may do that later myself but i just want to say what i think about daniel inouye in his core. he shared with us at prayer breakfast. we don't quote what people say at that meeting but he talked about his feeling about war and his participation in it. it was one of the most moving

presentations i think any of us had seen. and it was so well received by the people there t. truth is senator inouye did not like war. he hated war. he knew the drubblingtive power of war and how people suffered as a result of it. and he voted against a number of resolutions that would commit the united states to military action. but at the same time, there was no doubt based on his ranking and chairmanship over a period of years, decades e he was a person who always at bottom could be counted on to ensure that this nation was well defended, that we did not make mistakes. and he and senator ted stevens

had a unique relationship. and when something really developed that was important for the defense department and it involved a danger to our government or could do damage to the department or they needed something really seriously needed it, often times in this government we can't respond and we don't respond effective lifment they would go to daniel inouye and it would be fixed. because they understood that peace through strength was the best way to avoid war and they felt a sense of great response tobblet ensure that the defense department was not damaged on their watch. and their experience and judgment is such that they could tell the difference between complaints and real danger to america's defense capability. i would just say, mr. president, that daniel inouye

has established a record that places him among the finest senators to ever serve here, one of the finest hunal beings to ever serve here. and i want to say as a member of the armed services committee how much i appreciated his particular commitment to ensuring the american defense capability remains second to none and his willingness to take the steps necessary to maintain our defense at the level we would want it to be. and so mr. president, i would yield the floor. >> the senator from utah. to begin i want to express my deepest sorrow for the events of last friday. as a parent, grandparent and great grandparent i was who are fide to hear of the tragedy in

newtown, connecticut. my sadness remains for those who have lost their children and loved ones and for the quiet community that was shattered through such an act of violence. i, like almost everyone i know, am at a loss of making sense of such a horrible tragedy and i won't do so today. all i can do is offer my prayers and simpthist for those who lost their friends and family members and to the people of newtown. in my faith we believe that families are eternal. that those who have lost loved ones will one day we reunited with them. that belief has helped me cope with losses i've experienced over the years. while nothing can help the pain of losing a child, i hope this notion will bring the parents

some measure of comfort. once again, i offer my deepest sympathy to those in newtown and across the country who have cause to mourn this day. i ask my further remarks be placed in an appropriate place in the record. >> i also want to take a moment to pay tribute to a man i loved, appreciated and worked with for all of these years. and to bid a farewell to our departed friend, the senior senator from hawaii, daniel inouye. in addition to being a senator, he was many things, a pearl harbor survivor, a loving hubt to his wife irene. and as a volunteer with the red

cross daniel tended to the wounded in the aftermath of pearl harbor. senator inouye was one of manyationen americans who petitioned the government for the right to serve their country in the military. his petition was accepted and was successful and he served he rokely. in fact the story of his military service has become the stuff of legend in the senate and throughout the country. in 2,000 senator inouye was awarded the medal of honor. in 1959 when hawaii chief state hood he was elected the state's first full member of the house of representatives. three years later in 1962 he was elected to the u.s. senate

where he would serve for five decades, the second longest tenure in this chambers history. i am honored to have served with him throughout my entire senate service. while he and i often found oufferses on different sides on issues, i always knew him to be a man of principle and deenssi. one of the few times we found ourselves on the same side came when the late senator ted stevens asked us for help when his character was called into question. now politically speaking participating in senator stevens trial held no benefit for senator inouye. it would have been easy for senator inouye to deny his friends question and few would have blamed him for it. but that's not how he operated. rather than letting a friend

fend for himself he showed great loyalty in his willing tons testify to his friend's good character, to put his own reputation on the line in service of a friend. and i had a similar privilege. once against, mr. president. both senator inouye and i were mist fide by what happened in that trial. and we were justified in our mystification when finally they had to admit that it was a trial that should have never been brought. all i can say is i remember him testifying, i testified after he did. colin powell also testified as to ted stevens character which and we both felt, all three of us felt like this was a beshempment of an honest man.

i am proud to have been senator inouye's colleague but i am more proud to have been his friend overall these years. he actually showed me a great deal of concern, showed me a great deal of friendship, would spend time with me when i needed particular help and really was there in many ways for not just me but for others as well. one of the kindest, most decent honorable people i've ever met. i want to express my deepest simpthist to his wife and many friend and family. he left an indelible mark on the nation he loved so much and he will sewerly be misseded. mr. president, one last thing i would ask this be placed in an appropriate place in the record. >> without objection.

>> i want to comp lint senator lay hee. i've served with him all of my 35 years. he's a strong, intelligent hardworking senator and i'm sure he'll fill this position in every way it can possible be filled. i know that he, like i are both said that we've lost senator inouye. but hope everything goes well for him in this new transition, in this new thuent he has. i yield. >> i too rise to pay tribute to the great senator inouye. i want to express my heart felt

condolences to senator inouye's family. and to the people of hawaii also our condolences because they loved him deerly and they sent him time and time again to the senate. and i want to offer condolences to his capable staff t other inouye family. many who were devoted to helping him helping the people of hawaii and the people of america. we lost a great hero and a true patriot and i've lost a real good friend. he was one of the great men of the senate who welcomed me and helped me get started when i first came to the senate. mr. president, it's well known that i was the first democratic woman elected in her own right

and when i came to the senate there was only one other woman. i say today though i was the only democratic woman, though i was all by myself, i was never alone because i had great men in the united states senate who helped me get started and mentored me and taught me how to be an effective senator. senator inouye was a group of those men who in the warmest, most generous, most helpful way welcomed me to the united states senate. he helped me get on the powerful appropriations committee. he was my teacher and mentor. he also had a wonderful way of communicating with all of us. and as each new class of senators, each new class of women senators arrived, he welcomed each and every one of us with the same warmth and

generosity he showed to me. we have a saying among we the women of the senate is that men of quality stand up for we women fighting for inquality and daniel inouye was there ever step of the way. when we wanted equal pay for equal work he was. there when we wanted to be included in the protocols and establish an office of women's health, he was there, issue after issue. last year i had the wonderful honor of traveling to the middle east with senator inouye. it is an eagle that many of the women in the senate wear. we have a little collection. this one is from the smith sonian. he said i loift, it's so pretty. i want to get one for my wife. i don't know if senator inip ever got it for his wife irene

but i say to my colleagues today at an appropriate today and on behalf of the united states senate i will present this pin to mrs. inouye in honor of her husband, our gift to her because he gave so many gifts to us. he was a line in the senate, a real american hero. though gent until style he was a fears warrior when it came to fighting for his nation or standing up for hawaii. when he received his medal of honor, he was rising to the call of pearl har bob volunteering to serve his country. putting aside his dreams of being a physician. he was decorated in world war ii for saving his own soldiers. he was a devoted, dedicated public servant. he was hawaii's first representative of the nation's

newest state. he was the first person of japanese heritage to be elected to the senate. imagine he knew what it was like to break bar yes, sir and boundaries. when he came to the senate he cherished his love for hawaii and its people. he fought to improve their lives. his style was one of absolute civilty. he believed the decorum of the senate enabled the senate to do the people's business. he was the essence of civilty and he showed that often goodmanners was good politics that led to good politics. he did not argue the loudest and instead he worked diligently. he mar shaled his arguments and with quiet determination won the day. and as a fell appropriate yate or the i saw that he loved his

ear marks. and what did he do with those ear marks? i can tell you. he made sure that we looked out for indian tribes and the poorest of the poor in hawaii, he cleaned up a super fund site and he made sure that the children no who needed help were able to get the education that they needed in a small community setting that might not have been able to do it. yes, he was the old school which and it was old school that should teach us a lesson or two. as a member of the appropriations committee for 41 years, he led us by example. 41 years. he came in 1971 and became the chairman in 2009 leading by example, he showed how we can abbling accomplish great things by working together which he saw we could have a stronger country, a stronger economy and

yet have a sense of fru gallonty. he treated the minority party with great respect. all have spoken about his ledge dare friendship with ted stevens. but now as senator cochran was serving as the ranking member he called him as vice chairman and i know he was ready to reach out to senator shelby who astumed roles. he knew we needed the input of all senators to enact our bills and craft our bills. he shared on the indian affairs committee. he was the first chairman of the select committee on intelligence. there will be those that will read his resume in hawaii. i hope they don't say he came here to gain fame or do press releases or be on talk shows. he came to govern.

he came to the united states senate having fought for his country in world war ii while even members of his own family had been held in a camp because of their japanese heritage. but he was loyal, faithful to the day he took his oath to defend the constitution as a young private all the way to the day here now. he was a fears defender of our military. for him it was always about the troops and he never forgot what it was like to be fighting in a foreign land that's why he was devoted to our veterans and our health care. so to an old school war hero let us give our final salute but let's take the lessons learned from this great life and incorporate them in our very day here today. mr. president i yield the floor.

>> senator from tennessee. >> thank you mr. president. >> senator inouye told me a story which i'd like to repeat for our colleagues. in 1973 jorl gallop the pollster asked to come see him. this was at the height of the water gait hearings. back then the investigations into president nixon's water gait break inwere consuming the country. then there were only three major television net wornings plus the public broadcasting system. and the water gait hearings were every single day several hours a day on all four of those networks. so almost everyone in the country for weeks watched the water gait hearings. they got to know the chairman,

howard baker the ranking republican. when gallop came to see senator inouye and he said i'm glad to see you but why do you come to see me. >> who would you say is the most recommend niced person in the senate today? >> president nixon. >> he said that's right. who is the second he said senator initch in. he said how could that be. i'm sure they have seen a japanese senator with one arm and such a voice and you've made an impression on the people. that was 1973 and since then senator inouye made a great impression on the people around the world and on the hundred of

us who serve here. part of it was because of his service in the war. he and bob dole were wounded at ability the same time in europe and were in the same hospital recovering from serious wounds. senator inouye was awarded the congressional medal of honor for. that when senator inouye was elected to congress he wrote senator dole a note i'm here, where are you. because both of them when they were recovering from their war wound determined one day they wanted to serve in the united states congress and inouye got here first. a few years ago senator inouye and senator ted stevens invited a number of us to go with them to chinenafment it was quite an experience. senator stevens had flown the

first cargo plane in 1944 and of course senator inouye was well regarded in china for that service. and so the group of senators, there must have been a dozen of us of both parties got more time with mr. had you and with you than almost the president of the united states would have. we were accorded ever courtesy because of the presence of senator inouye and senator stevens. they were like brothers. they called one another brothers. they served that way in the senate, as chairman and vice chairman of the defense appropriations subcommittee. they over a number of decades single hand edly shaped our american defense posture. and they did it with skill and patriotism and structure very few could have.

several senators have mentioned how bipartisan he was. he was of the old school. not a bad schooled for today in my point of slue which he treated each senator with courtesy, teen newer senators. he treated each senator with a sense of quality even those who were in the minority and not on his side of the aisle. he was always fair. he was always you courteous and always tried to do the right thing. he was a textbook united states senator. he announced for reelection after his last election at age 85 or 86 and he won't be anal to run for that reelection now that he is gone. but he will be well remembered. not long ago he spoke at our prayer breakfast we have here. usually we vo 20 or 30 senators

on that day we had 60 just to hear what he had to say. i won't repeat that because we don't talk about that in public except to say he talked about his war experiences and in a quiet way. he stood there for ten or 15 minutes and explained those experiences to those of us who never had that sort of experience, it gave us a new sense of him and increased our respect for him if that could have been possible. so i join with my colleagues to say that senator daniel inouye was a patriot. he set the standard really for a united states senator. he set the standard for a man or woman in our military fighting to defend his or her country and he said the standard as an individual who showed courtesy to everyone he met. we will mishim.

we honor him and say to his family our expressions of grief to them but more importantly our great respect for our colleague who today is gone. thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor. >> the senator from alaska. >> i ask to speak until my comments are exreeted. >> without objection. >> i raise to pay tribute to daniel inouye. the histories of my state and senator inouye's closely connect. we interested the senate at the same time in 1959. at the time growing up i wasn't sure if we had two or three senators because senator inouye's name was so well known throughout alaska. there was opposition to both of us becoming states. but we have proven our

opponents wrong. thanks to daniel inouye hawaii has become a modern prosperous state. and many have a fondness for the 50th state especially this time of year. daniel inouye began his service at the age of 17 when he entered the army after the attack at pearl harbor f earning the nation's highest military medal for action in italy. as a member of the senate, senator inouye continued his fears defense of his state and his partnership with alaska. my pred says sor ted stevens knew senator inouye as his brofment he worked together and produced much good for both our states that will last generations. when i was first elected to this office senator inouye was one of the first to reach out

to me. he was always quiet. he provided me quiet advice and helped me learn how this place works. many times i would be at the podium waiting for members to vote and senator inouye would come and stand at the edge there and look up and say how is it going alaska and we would have a brief conversation and usually his words would land incredible insight. it may not be relevant to the topic we were voteding on but he would say something he knew i was working on. i know the people of alaska will remember him for his dedication to their success. he met with them during their visits as often and i would say even more often than the alaska members in the house and senate. they made a point to stop by

his office on a regular occasion to talk to him about what has happened in the past, what is going on the today and what they look for in the future. earlier this year senator inouye was in alaska at my invitation. his last trip to alaska. he told the story about his support of the trance alaska pipeline which was controversial when he supported it in its construction. he has a unique style of how to tell stories and you got to pay attention and listen. they are not wordy, they are just to the point which he told this story told by opponents in fact pipeline it would destroy the car but that lived in alaska. this is what he was told over and over again. he was in front of a group of people and i was anxious as he started to talk and he said i have this story to tell you. and he talked about this time of continue versery about the

oil pipe libe and what would happen and the destruction that may occur based on what he was hearing but he was a strong supporter of the pipeline, so in his words, he said the warm oil going through the pipeline heats the ground so grass grows year round t. caribou come around and eat the grass and make love and the population has grown threefold. who was i to let facts get in the way of its telling. but he has done enormous things for people in alaska. the work he did when he went out to rural alaska many years ago and saw the conditions of our water and sewer, saw an important effort to preserve the languages of alaska and hawaii which and yes, like hawaii, alaskaens love our ear

marks and we still love them. and he was an adamant proponent of ear marks. as also mentioned his defense of his country and his personal heroic actions but his ongoing, everyday work he did to shape the national defense and international defense. and it was an incredible sight to watch him in action. i will always remember daniel inouye for his truly hearty laugh, ready smile and partnership with my t state of alaska and his dedication to his state. truly a silent giant. my condolences go to his wife and the entire family and to all who will mishim greatly.

we come down to the session every day and get the calendar of business. this one dated today, you look on the list of all the committees and you see the chairman and the members but today his name is not there after 41 years. my heart goes out to him to truly the silent giant. i yield the floor. >> the senator from washington. >> i come today to pay tribute to an american hero, a great senator, an amazing man and a dear friend senator daniel inouye. senator inouye dedicated his life to public service and through his hard and faithful work he has left his nation and the state that he loved so

dearly far better in so many ways. we will all hear a lot about in the days ahead about the bar yes, sir that he broke down over the course of his life. we will hear about his service in times of war and in peace. about his heroism and his love for his family and state and country. and we'll hear about the admiration and respect he's earned from so many in the senate on both sides of the ale over the course of a long career. but mr. president, what i want to focus on for a minute is the dan inouye who has been there for me as a friend and mentor for the past 20 years. who has been a shining light in this chamber. senator inouye was not the loudest member of this chamber, he was not the most robust and he wasn't a senator who spent

his time making long winded speeches but through his quiet resolve, his under stated strength and his commitment to do the right thing no matter what he was able to accomplish so much. he led the appropriations committee through difficult times with grace and incredible effectiveness. the partisan rank that too oftendom nates this city was unaccept to believe him. his focus was on people, on the infrastructure they depend on in the communities, on the must vulnerable. he was a giant here in the senate, he was a mountain back home. hawaii would not be hawaii without dan inouye. he fought for his state. he would not allow it to be ignored and he made it a better place to live and work for generations to come. mr. president, as a senator

from another state far from washington d.c. i learned a lot from him about how to advocate for the people who elect you and make sure they never get lost here in the mix. through his quiet and shiney example we learned about bipartisan ship. we all learned a bit more about effectiveness. he knew how to get things done more than anyone i have seen before or will since. we learned a bit more about hume illty. you never here danny talk about himself. we learned about respect, kindness towards all, not just those who agree with you. and he helped us remember every single day why he came here in the first place. yath you how many times danny would stand his ground on issues others had given up on

because he knew the impact it would have on real people. he knew this was not just about politics, it was about helping people and delivering for our communities and our nation. mr. president, daniel inouye impressed me every day for 20 years but nothing impressed me more than his love for his community and family. i just got off the phone with his wife and expressed my condolences. danny will be missed terribly. but he has left his legislative acheevepls, the roads that wouldn't be built, the 34il8 tear bases that wouldn't exist, the ports and bridges and trains had he not be there to move legislation. so much more. but danny will be remembered far beyond his many tangible

achievements. he will live on through the value that is he embody and spread, through the principles he stood up for and shared through his family that loved him dearly, through the people who will never forget his advocacy, for the country he sacrificed so much for. and for all of us who are better for having served with the greatest senator ever, senator daniel inouye. i yield the floor. >> mr. president before i yield the floor i have four yuan mouse consent request for peem meet i ask can these request be agreed to and printed in the record? >> without objection. >> mr. president on plaff of

the over 10 million people in georgia and over 3 until america i want to pause to pay tribute and offer my condolences to the family of daniel inouye. when a great football coach passes away and players are interviewed they say he was a players coach. when great generals are lost, they say he was a soldiers general. i'm here to pay tribute to the life of a senators senator. he was a great role model for me. he came here when high hawaii was first created a state and he's been here since. he's influenced the lives of many. i got an e-mail this morning from mat, had he said please remember love and affection we have for daniel inouye.

and i share that same affection. i know i oh a lot of success to learning from his patience and guidance and his determination. yesterday i am told his last words were alow ha. we have to remember those were the first words he said as well because he meant it. i want to follow up on what senator alexander a moment because i was at the prayer breakfast he spoke at too. the largest crowd we ever had. everybody there was mesmerized by his candor, his life and commitment. we don't discuss what goes on and i won't here except to say when he opened his heart it was as big and rich a heart as we've seen. to his family and the people of hawaii we have lost a great man but we are better off for

knowing him and loving him and serving with him. i pay tribute to a great american hero daniel inouye. >> senator from kansas. >> thank you mr. president. let me thak the senator and all of my colleagues who have come to the floor to you'llize senator daniel inouye. the senate has lost a hero receiving the nation's highest honor the medal of honor. he was seeking the truth during our most challenging times a champion to the men and women who put their lives at risk to

protect the united states and whose legislative achievements have been simply remarkable. all this from a man who aults gave others credit and never sought the spotlight. yesterday senator john mccain from arrests ars, a hero in his own right said the senate lost especially the citizens of hawaii lost a brave man who brought to this senate the most essential that is served of anyone in this diverse body, he certainly hit the nail on the head. in hawaii there was a group of young japanese americans who decided they wanted to serve their country in uniform. one of the most well known and famous and most highly decorated yinets of the world

war ii, it was the baal i don't know in which daniel inouye served. he was a proud member of this baal i don't know. he was wounded on the battlefield and brought home and lost his arm as a result of one of the wounds he sustained. he went to the veterans hospital in chicago. a person on the same ward was a second lieutenant who had been wounded seriously also. he was wounded in italy in combat, bob dole, second lieutenant bob dole of kansas a man that still today is representing the best we have in kansas in our country and did such a great job as a leader of this boifment and there became a friendship that lasted to this day, both men gravely wounded, both certainly dedicated more than ever to

serve their country, both served with distinction. the bonds of friendship that were forged in that hospital between bob and dan were unique and also enduringing. yesterday also senator danny poinlted out that his colleague from his native state was a true patriot and american hero in every sense and he is at this time in hawaii the greatest leader. then danny said it's an incredible understatement to call him an institution. this chamber will never be the same without him. he also said that daniel inouye leaves blind a list of accomplishments that will never be par lelled. his hard work for the united states of america influenced every part of his life and set him apart even in the senate.

so today will be the first day since hawaii became a state in 1959 that daniel inouye will not be representing us in the congress. every child born in hawaii will learn of daniel inouye, a man who changed the islands for ever. then the senator said he was praying for his 23578ly drk family. like so many with danny's untimely passing, i have lost a very, very, very dear friend n. truth the senate has lost a dear friend. we have lost one of the last institutional planes of the senate. i had the privilege to be with danny and represented my personal career highlights as i look back.

uncle ted where danny had t-shirts made that said i sur viveed ted steens. ted took to us antarctica and north korea and wileder wild east and any number of places of national interest where nobody else would go as the song says through the bushes where a rabbit wouldn't government danny was the personification of those who get things done the effective way. staying in the background until time to take charge and then give others credit. i will all the remember his voice advising the north koreans in north korea they should make john and the 38 parallel a tourist sight and not a shooting gallery. we travelled to the east of

alaska and they will tell you yes there are saber tooth tigers north to the island. danny nodded and then went into detail about his other travels with a little fact and fiction mixed in all with a twinkle in his eye. i also remember in the community or the city in the russian far east we were at a hotel and i would say that this hotel -- this one had to be on the last of the list and as we went into our rooms i discovered that my bed was a wooden frame and then just straps, no mat tress and one blanket and no pill lofmente i thought fwg jr. member of this co-dell this was something they assigned to me. so i went down the hall with my

special key in hand and mip special i.d. and in that part of the world that's what you do. knocked on danny's door and he said how can i be of service to you dear friend and i said i'd just like to look at your accomodations thinking he would have a bed. and there was a wooden bed with the same kind of accommodation. and no mat tress and just one blanket and he said why are you interested in that bed. i said i thought being a jr. member having the same thing that something might be tpwhr your quarters. he got a big kick out of that and was always reminding me of that at various times when i would get a little upset about anything. but at any rate it is not an understatement with regard to leadership, bipartisanship and

achievement. it would serve every member to ask what would daniel inouye want us to do. there was a reference to the keynote speech that senator inouye gave in chicago. and i quote it was a period of unrest after the assasinations of ken di and martin luther king. troubling times indeed. speaking not as a democrat but as a citizen decuved by violence, senator inouye described a troubling loss of faith among americans which he said i do not mean a loss of religious faith, i mean a loss of faith in america and its institutions. i mean a retreat from the responsibilities of citizenship. danny called for americans to rebuild their trust in government. an extraordinary statement for a man who is people suffered grave injustices from

government. they were overshad dode by events at that convention but his speech was trumly remarkable. his speech grew little attention then and is even less remembered now. my colleagues, danny's speech should be required reading today given recent experienced tragedies in our country. it was just last week i was asked to speak in senator inouye's behalf at the proposed eisenhower memorial. an theafert has taken far too long to bring to fruigs. a day before in the cloak room just back there, we had one of our many discussions where he grabbed my hand and looked me in the eye and said you and i probably vote differently 80% of the time but in all of our efforts and all of our travels, i have considered you a

brother. i didn't know what to do. i responded with a tier in my eye and i said i love you danny inouye. he said i love you too. what a wonderful thing to hear from a true american hero in every respect. it has been a privilege and an honor to serve with such a remarkable and truly humble man. i also want to thank his wonderful staff in working with my staff on so many mutual projects. i will misyou every day. i yield back the balance of my time. >> the senator from new jersey. >> mr. president there are few

times in history, few times in the history of this institution when one senator, a singularly icon i can leader comes along and reminds us of what it means to be a united states senator, whate means to represent the very best of what this nation stands for and to do it as he always did with the utmost dignity, honor pride and integrity. i'm deeply sad tond have to speak to the passing of a true american hero. someone who inspired so many of us here in the united states senate, someone whose ideals and sense of justice were always on display. the passing of senator inouye leaves a painful void in the leadership of this body, the life and sacrifice of senator inouye in so many ways embodies

the essence of the greatest generation. even when faced with the suffering of an entournament camp he did not allow his love of his country to be i did minute shd and justice was a constant theme in his life. we had a close bond when it came to our concern for minorities in our country because of the struggles in his life, he understood the struggles in both of our communities. he felt the king ship to the hispanic communities and shared the hopes and aspirations. in recent kvingses i know he understood the growing importance of the hispanic community and advancing their interest in american society. he lived it, he understood it, he knew it. we worked together on the

recognition of philippine know veterans and he thanked me for my interest and working with him on an interest so dear to his heart. these are just a few stories. i know there are thousands more to be told. but the real story was this was a man who sacrificed for his country. but ultimately because of a kind heart and loyally to the ideals we process as americans, he became one of the most important yet humble leaders in the united states senate. senator inouye reminded us what it means to be an american hero, a war hero who carried the burden of his service with him all of his life. his courage, his patriotism, his respect for the values he fought for formed his views in

this chamber. we are saddened today with the passing of one of the most respected and icon i can lead e a hero a voice for reason and common sense when reason rationalty and common sense was too often in short supply. he will be missed by all of us who had the privilege to serve with him but by a nation who needs more leaders like him. all of us remember his lasting influence, his way of making us look into the heart of the matter. he knew how to get to the crux of an issue and led the way so many times for the rest of us and we followed his lead and the nation was better for us. all of us who worked with him in the appropriations committee respected his word and his fairness. he was all the willing to listen and hear your side and reach out across the aisle for

what he believed was right. he was most recently the voice to secure disaster relief for my home state of new jersey. he addressed the needs of the people of new jersey just as he did for the people of hawaii for decades. our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife and his family and to the people of hawaii today. we have lost an incredibly great man. until we meet again. >> the final service for the late hain hawaiien senator will be held at the national memorial cemetery at the pacific. >> as president obama begins a second term in office wharks is the most important issue he should consider in 2013? should consider in 2013? tell